Over 1000 hockey players resume sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar: In accordance with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) recent guidelines, hockey players in Jammu and Kashmir have resumed sports activities keeping in mind the detailed SOP and guidelines provided by Hockey India.

The detailed SOPs and guidelines were shared with all the State Member Units as early as in April 2020 with the intent to be well prepared and ready for systematic rollout.

In Jammu and Kashmir, over 1000 players have resumed limited sports activities. The players, from across age categories (both men and women), are slowly finding their groove on the field after being away from the pitch for many months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The players and the Coaches of the State Member Unit are currently building towards their next domestic tournament – Premier League J&K at district, divisional level and State Championship. The Officials from Hockey Jammu & Kashmir have been ensuring that all activities are being conducted following the necessary protocols provided to them by Hockey India.

The State Member Units got a general idea about the key aspects to keep in mind while resuming sports activities during an interactive session with Chief Coaches of the national teams and experienced national players; PR Sreejesh and Savita in September.

The Chief Coaches and players spoke about their first-hand experience of how the National Camp coaches and players are following the set protocol at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru since restarting sports activities on 19 August 2020.

“We were one of the first Hockey India State Member Units to resume hockey activities. Once we had sanctions from the MHA, we conducted local level camps and encouraged players to return to the field across districts in Jammu & Kashmir. We have received an overwhelming response, with over 1000 players returning to play hockey,” said Taran Singh, General Secretary, Hockey Jammu, and Kashmir in a Hockey India release.

He further added, “It’s very important for athletes to stay in touch with their sport and therefore we are extremely happy that the players and officials have got the opportunity to slowly and steadily start sports activities in our state. I am also delighted to note that while the players were away from the pitch, we continued to build our infrastructure in the last few months.” (ANI)